The temperatures are just beginning to warm up in Jacksonville, and we have already started to see evidence of termites swarming. If you are noticing any insect wings near your baseboards or foundation of the house, you may have active termites and need termite control. Truly Nolen Jacksonville is trained and equipped to deal with every type of termite that we have in the Jacksonville area, oftentimes without costly and inconvenient fumigation.
Reproductive adults called alates take flight to colonize new wood once their colony has matured, which typically happens about 5 years after initial establishment. Alates fly from dusk to dawn and are weak fliers, often drifting with the wind. They drop their wings within minutes of landing and break off into male and female pairs. Termite alates can quickly succumb to predation and desiccation if they don't find a suitable nuptial (mating) chamber. Wood with some type of defect like cracks, knots, or nail holes are often preferred. Termites are attracted to light, so often people will see them flying around street lights or other outdoor light fixtures. For West Indian Drywood termites this occurs from April to June and coincides with the rainy season, but for Asian subterranean termites, dispersal flights have been recorded from February to April.
While West Indian drywood termites are only found in buildings, Asian subterranean termites and dampwood termites can also colonize live trees. Extensive damage to mature, living trees has been noted recently on some native trees by the invasive Asian subterranean termites.
Here are some steps you can take to protect your home: